Introduction: Kistler rods is making a name for itself in the industry by
producing extremely detailed handcrafted rods at reasonable prices. At the top
of the line Kistler offers the Mark Tyler signature series, and TackleTour got
the opportunity to put Kistler's new 6'6" MT rod to the test.

Kistler
KMT66MH Specifications

Material

IM7 Graphite

Length

6'6"

Line Weight

10-17lb

Lure Weight

1/4-3/4oz

Sections

1pc

Guides

8 plus the tip

Rating

Medium-Heavy

Color

Red

Action

Extra
Fast

MSRP

$119.99

About Kistler: Kistler rods is owned and operated by Trey Kistler. Trey's
father was the co-founder of All-Star rods and the founder of Castaway rods.
Trey grew up fishing as well as working alongside his father in the rod building
business. After his father retired from Castaway Trey built his own business
from the ground up with the introduction of "Kistler Custom Fishing Rods" in
1999. Since then Kistler has had phenomenal growth, and prides itself on
producing high quality rods backed by a lifetime warranty.

The Kistler
Mark Tyler rods are attractively wrapped and branded

Impressions: When TackleTour first looked at the Mark Tyler rod that Trey
had sent us we were immediately impressed by the detail in the workmanship. Not
only was the rod wrap flawless, but Kistler obviously put some innovative design
components into this rod to improve comfort and functionality. These innovations
included a unique hook hanger and removal of the cork above the reel seat. I was
eager to get the Kistler into our tests to see how these modifications played
into the fishing experience.

The cork
handle is contoured on the KMT66MH to help increase comfort and offer better
positioning by shortening distance to feather the reel

For the tests we paired the KMT66MH with a Shimano ChronarchSF.

Complete Rig for KMT66MH tests

Rod

Kistler KMT66MH

Reel

Shimano ChronarchSF

Line

12lb Trilene XL

The Lab Tests: In the lab we flexed the rod
and noticed all the flex in the KMT66MH occurs right above the 4th guide. The KMT66MH looked like an
extremely fast action rod with a stiff butt. In comparison to other similarly
rated rods in the lab the KMT66MH had a larger diameter blank in the butt,
stiffening the entire rod. Only in bright light does the KMT66MH really show off
the beauty of the tight knit IM7 graphite. Holding the rod in the lab with
10lb's of pressure exerted on the tip the rod felt comfortable and secure with
Kistler's implementation of Fuji's new ECS rod seat.

Kistler's
IM7 graphite shines in the sun, notice the blank through Fuji reel seat that
exposes a generous amount of the blank

Real World Test: We ran the entire gamut of tests on the KMT66MH, being the first
Kistler rod our editors had ever seen. We spent 2 days on casting tests, and 12
days on the water actually fishing with the KMT66MH and documenting everything
we encountered.

Casting:Within the first few casts we knew the KMT66MH could cast
with the best rods. Kistler's choice of low profile Fuji Hardloy guides and tip
reduce the weight of the rod while providing a premium casting experience. The
best way to describe casting on the KMT66MH is "silky smooth." What's
interesting about the cast is that the tip moves so quickly that you do have the
capability to fling
small 1/4 lures, but the butt is so strong that it is actually best suited for
casting larger lures.

The KMT66MH
features a innovative hook hanger that holds the lures parallel and flat to
the blank

Sensitivity:The KMT66MH is surprisingly
sensitive for a rod of its size. How I like to test for sensitivity before
actually fishing the rod is to tie on a 1/4oz jighead and cast directly onto
pavement, hold the rod at a 45 degree angle and see just how much of the street
I can feel. In this test the KMT66MH performed just as good if not better then
rods costing twice as much. In the water when crawling grubs on the lake floor I
noticed the same thing. The reason for the KMT66MH increased sensitivity is due
to a combination of three factors.

1) The Fuji
Hardloy guides are very low profile and offer increased sensitivity

3) Kistler
removes the standard cork above the reel seat and actually modified the Fuji
seat to come in direct contact with the blank, thus reducing the cork buffer
that would have decreased the vibration to your hand

The
combination of these three elements made the KMT66MH great for tossing
weightless worms and wacky rigged senkos short distances, where I could feel the
moment the lure came in contact with structure or the bottom.

The KMT66MH
is stiff and even when casting hard only the tip whips forward

Accuracy: The KMT66MH exhibited good
accuracy thanks to a very stiff butt. Basically where you point this rod the
lure will follow, as the quick tip snaps the lure on its way and quickly returns
true. One bait in particular that feels right at home on the KMT66MH are heavy
deep rolling spinnerbaits like the Hildebrandt Tin Rollers. Casting these
heavier spinners accurately is no problem since the strong rod can easily fling
these heavier lures, and the tip quickly recovers after the cast.

Power: Here is where the KMT66MH really shows off
its talents. this is by far the strongest 6'6" rod (power wise) I have tested to
date. the reinforced butt of this rod is amazing. Muscling large 4-6lb bass
through structure is a new experience with the strength of the KMT66MH's
backbone...the fish never had a chance. While the rod tip arcs forward no more
the 30 degrees while fighting large fish the entire base of the rod remains
true. In the lab we measured the diameter of the rod butt to be about 20%
larger then comparable rods, now I know why....the Kistler KMT66MH has an
astounding amount of reserve strength, and I'd even feel comfortable fishing
this rod for Stripers. Hook sets with the KMT66MH are easy as the rod is just
incredibly fast thanks once again to the stiff IM7 graphite base.

Notice the
KMT66MH has no cork above the reel seat, this Kistler modification actually
increased the rod sensitivity while reducing weight

Innovations:
While the KMT66MH performed well in
all tests it also had a number of features that sweeten Kistler's offering and
set it apart from the competition. These include:

1) Modified Hook hanger:
The KMT66MH sports a unique
hook hanger that is so simple yet works very well. The hook hanger is actually
on top of the rod by the reel seat and bent over so that when stowing lures on
the rod you don't ever have to thread a hook through the hanger. Instead the
hanger is bent so tension of the line is enough to hold the hook securely. In
addition the hanger holds the lure firmly flat against the rod preventing it
from moving and scratching the graphite.

2) Contoured Cork Handle:
To increase comfort Kistler contours the cork grip to be narrower at the
base to reduce weight and thicker and rounder directly below the reel seat to
fit well into the palm of your hand

These innovative details really impressed us as
they are truly useful features.

Warranty: To further add value Kistler stands behind its products with a
lifetime warranty. In addition anglers can order these custom built rods from
Kistler and carefully inspect them, and if not satisfied in 10 days can return
any unused rod for a full refund or exchange.

Ratings:

Kistler
KMT66MH Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality

Kistler's IM7 graphite and overall
construction are top notch, the quality in the details are excellent

9

Performance

The performance of this rod was good, the
power of this rod was excellent. You will be confident using this rod for
even the largest largemouth bass and even some stripers!

9

Price

This is in all respects a premium rod at an
impressive price

8.5

Features

The use of all high quality Fuji components
and innovative features increase the usability and value of Kistler's
offering

10

Design (Ergonomics)

Great contoured cork that makes extended
fishing easy

9

Application

Good rod that can be used for many lures and
techniques. With a strong butt and power rating this rod is best suited for
larger lures rather then small plastics

8.5

Total Score

9.0

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus
Minus

J Great
innovative details

L Small lure casting, best suited for larger
lures

J Great construction

J Strong power capabilities

J Sensitivity is very good

J Great price for a custom rod

Conclusion: The KMT66MH is
the first rod from Kistler I have ever tested, and I was very impressed. Packed
with exciting features and a incredibly strong rod base, anglers can fish the KMT66MH with the
confidence that this rod will be able to handle bass in even the hairiest
applications. Rather then produce just another standard rod Trey Kistler has
succeeded in creating a custom rod with innovative features, a true attention to
detail, and great power to sensitivity ratio, at a great price. Definitely check
out Kistler's custom made KMT66MH the next time you are in the market for a high
end rod packed with plenty of muscle.